Stars unite for anti-poverty event

Celebrities united on Saturday to help eradicate poverty by 2030 at the 2013 Global Citizen Festival in Manhattan.

Alicia Keys and John Mayer rocked the stage at the Global Citizen Festival Saturday.

The pair were among a host of stars who united at the event in New York City, orchestrated with the goal of eradicating extreme poverty by 2030.

Just Jared reports John sang Waiting on the World to Change and Wildfire, while Alicia performed New Day, Listen to Your Heart and other hits.

The 32-year-old pianist took to her website earlier in the day to share an empowering message with fans about how they too can mobilise and affect change.

“Today is such a powerful day- symbolic of the way we can really do something to make the world closer to the way we want it,” Alicia wrote. “So many times it feels like we are stuck and don’t have any control over the world. Poverty is an injustice against our Global family. It denies people the basic right to necessities like food, clean water, health care and education.”

Several other stars walked the green carpet at Manhattan’s Central Park to lend their support to the cause.

Katie Holmes, Gerard Butler, Olivia Wilde and fiancé Jason Sudeikis were among those in attendance.

Gerard logged onto Twitter to announce Kings of Leon were performing at the event.